This invention relates to a fairing device adapted to be mounted on the upright forward face of a vehicle for reducing aerodynamic drag.
The usual truck which is used in hauling materials on the highway, includes a cab which houses the vehicle operator and a box-like body to the rear of the cab in which the cargo to be transported is loaded. In a truck of the type which is commonly referred to as a "semi," the body is part of a trailer which is connected through a fifth wheel connection with a tractor which carries the cab. In other trucks, the cargo carrying body and cab may be supported on the same frame. In either type of arrangement however, the body of the truck usually presents an upright forward face which extends upwardly above the cab and which offers considerable wind resistance or aerodynamic drag when the vehicle is moving over the highway at usual highway speeds. With the price of motor fuel having escalated considerably over the past few years, this wind resistance or drag becomes a significant figure in vehicle operating costs.
Various types of deflectors or drag reducing devices have been proposed. Some have the disadvantage of requiring considerable modification of the vehicle to which they are attached. Others have marginal efficiency in certain type of wind situations. Other types of deflectors are characterized by a compound curvature which makes them difficult to manufacture, and also limits adaptability to various sizes of truck bodies.
A further factor to be considered in the construction of a fairing device in that some truck bodies have open tops, as exemplified by the truck bodies used in hauling wood chips, etc. To prepare this type of truck body for transport, it is common to lash a cover or tarpaulin over the top of the body using hooks or fittings provided adjacent the tops of the various side walls in the truck body. To facilitate the securing of such a cover in place, ladder structure should be provided extending upwardly along an end wall whereby an operator may climb the ladder and make suitable lashing of the cover. Fairing devices of which I am aware make no provision for the installation of such a ladder structure on a truck body, nor are the devices of such a type that would readily accommodate the inclusion of a ladder.
Generally, therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a fairing device which is relatively simply constructed and which will reduce wind drag or resistance under varying wind conditions.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is readily installable on the upright front face of a vehicle body.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is readily prepared in different sizes to accommodate different sizes of truck bodies.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide such a device which includes access doors or door panels which may be opened to provide a passageway through the device and usable in conjunction with a ladder extending in such passageway.
These and other objects and advantages are attained by the invention which will become more fully apparent from the following descriptions, to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: